


Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

by johnjaemark



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angels, Demons, Emotional Constipation, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Otome Game, lot's of confusion tbh, mark is babie, they're all babie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21696694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnjaemark/pseuds/johnjaemark
Summary: Donghyuck wakes up in a world he does not belong to that has angels in it that Donghyuck wishes he belonged to.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno/Liu Yang Yang/Na Jaemin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 73
Collections: ’00 FIC FEST: ROUND ONE





	Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

**Author's Note:**

> it's finally here!! omg my dear beta and i worked really hard on this and i can confidently say i am very proud of this piece of work. i hope you will love this just as much as i do. thank you my beta and the hard working admins behind this fic fest.
> 
> prompt #00139

The wails of uncondemned, unbridled anguish is what wakes Donghyuck first. The voices scrape at the inside of his ears, claw through his ear drums and tear into the soft tissue of his brain, consuming him from the inside out. This is exactly how the fire that comes next feels. It licks at his fingers like an old pet greeting it’s owner with excitement, but then it climbs higher, lighting his entire body ablaze with misery. He writhes and twists, searching for some sort of relief that won’t reach him, that won’t soothe him. 

It fades, becomes more bearable, merely a passing current through his limbs that doesn’t burn him but warms him rather. And he so desperately needs that warmth, because in the few corners it doesn’t reach, he can feel ice spreading and claiming his body. Without this artificial heat, he knows for a fact that he’d be shivering and shaking in the wind like a loose leaf. Vibrations of aches and pain run through his body as he turns his head, forces himself to open his eyes and survey where he is.

It’s not familiar.

It’s not the suburban town he’s created chaos in ever since he was young and it’s not Jeju, his family’s favorite place to vacation at. This place is somewhere else entirely. In his very core, he knows he doesn’t belong here and yet, there's pulling in his lungs that informs it’s where he belongs  _ now _ , and it’s where he will stay. The desire to cry overwhelms him, but he blinks back the pricking sensation in his eyes and instructs his body well enough that he can at least sit up.

It’s twilight; the sky is soft lilac with black bleeding through it in inky blots and just beyond the gradient, Donghyuck can spot several silver orbs. He wonders which one qualifies as the moon, but then he remembers not all planets have only one moon. He bares his teeth in a bitter attempt to smile because of course it would make sense that he’s on a different planet, of course it would make sense inside his fried brain that that’s an option for where he is and what’s happened to him. 

He tears his attention away from the sky to appreciate the towering trees around him; it’s easy to feel very small when in nature’s looming presence. Donghyuck feels extremely small as he pulls himself onto his shaky legs and stands before a tree he can’t even begin to identify. The leaves are a blend of oranges and greens, and Donghyuck squints, wondering if maybe seasons are nonexistent here. The passage of time is merely a concept to some, and perhaps it’s more than just a concept here; it’s a laughable matter, something that they can’t be bothered to learn about, to accept in their culture. 

Wherever here is, Donghyuck accepts he’s apart of it now too. Acceptance burns his throat and stings his eyes; he had never been the type to lie down and just accept things, take them for what they are. Except, he’s so tired and he has no choice but to settle back in the dewy grass, let his eyes flutter shut. He hopes that when he wakes up, it’ll be to something a bit more familiar, something a little less daunting. Or maybe, at the bottom of it all, he just hopes. He hopes for more, something else. 

No one had ever told Lee Donghyuck that hope was a dangerous thing. 

*

Donghyuck wakes this time to sunlight tip toeing over his skin, tickling every surface area that it can reach. Compared to what he had previously woken to, this feels like a fuzzy blanket wrapped around his body, it feels like home. But as he opens his eyes and drinks in the bed he’s curled upon, and the room this bed is in, his heart sinks. This isn’t home, or it’s not the home he once knew. He blinks several times, finding that no matter how hard he reaches into the depths of his brain, he can’t remember. 

He no longer remembers what his old home was once and what it looked like; the memories are gone, merely replaced with a simple sensation of longing and the knowledge that what was once before is no longer. Whoever he once was is not who he is in this moment and the fact lays heavy on his chest and shoulders, making it harder to breathe for several minutes. He makes fists in the quilt that’s draped across his lithe body, pulls it over his head and face, as if he can hide from the truth. 

In place of his memories of his old life and home, he finds that there isn’t any vacant holes or corners, but rather new memories and thoughts forming. It becomes clear, that this life is wildly different from what Donghyuck once knew. Bitterness wells up inside of him, turning his thoughts and insides dark and heavy. This is all familiar because he’s witnessed it before; the one memory he’s granted, one he barely cares about.

Playing a game curled up in his  _ own  _ bed, his  _ real  _ bed, giggling at the pretty boys and the petty antagonists. Donghyuck pokes his head out from under the covers, blinks at his surroundings and scoffs in an attempt to laugh. 

“Well,” he speaks into the empty room, knowing by now that there is no one waiting for him. “I suppose I’m a petty antagonist as well now.” 

*

Donghyuck understands how any antagonist can be so thoroughly petty as he settles in his seat for an 8 am lecture. He pulls his hood firmly over the crown of his head, making sure it falls low over his eyes. He briefly recalls that this is how the antagonist of this very same game would behave as well, slinking in and out of class with little mind to those around him. Donghyuck scoffs internally at the memory of it; he’s nothing like that, in fact, he’s always considered himself a rather sociable person. The circumstances are making him just a little overwhelmed, a little too tired to interact around with his newfound classmates unfortunately. 

He ducks his head down low, resting his chin in the palm of his hand, eyelids drooping low. He’d had precisely the entirety of Sunday to come to terms with his situation. “Coming to terms” loosely translated to kicking and breaking some shit then buying an entire bag of chocolate to consume until he had become comforted by the fact that at least he had some semblance of what was going on and what to do. He has to admit, after settling on his couch with bruises and a tummy full of chocolate he  _ did  _ feel mildly better.

Donghyuck really suspected that his dark aura of doom and gloom would ward off any students entering the room, and yet, there’s always the odd one out.

“Is this seat taken?”

The bright and cheerful voice jerks Donghyuck into a sitting position, his eyes becoming extremely round as he takes in the sight of Mark Lee. Mark Lee, the innocent and altruistic protagonist of Donghyuck’s favorite game, is standing in the very flesh right before him. Donghyuck really truly could laugh, the entire situation becoming more and more unbelievable by the second.

Mostly, he’s shocked Mark isn’t being followed around by a flock of pretty boys yet. 

“Um,” Donghyuck replies stupidly, trying to take in the moment as best as he can in his state. “No. I guess not.” 

“Awesome!” Mark exclaims, because that’s the kind of thing someone that’s wholesome says when a complete stranger tells him a seat is free real estate. “Thank you,” he adds on as he plops into the aforementioned free real estate. “I’m Mark!”

“No problem,” Donghyuck grumbles, dropping his head back into his hand. His brain feels weighed down and the only way to support it is to physically hold it. As an after thought he adds, “Hi Mark, I’m Donghyuck.”

Mark giggles, like actually full on nose scrunch kitten giggle, shooting a smile in Donghyuck’s direction. “Hi. Did you have a long night? Not a lot of sleep?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Donghyuck’s response is non committal at the very least. Just because he knows how all of this is supposed to play out, it doesn’t mean he has any intention of following along. He can’t even count how many times he’d watched, and taken delight out of, the antagonist’s down fall. Sure as hell that isn’t going to be him too; he just wants to mind his business and maybe ogle at some pretty boys. 

“Oh, I understand that,” Mark still manages to sound a little too cheerful for someone who is setting up their laptop for such an early morning class. “College is a lot, y’know? And sometimes it deprives you of sleep, which really sucks. But usually it’s really worth it.”

Donghyuck doesn’t remember Mark being so wordy when he played the game, but to be fair, he doesn’t remember much. He squirms in his seat, more concerned about finding a comfortable position rather than finding a set up that allowed optimum note taking. As he settles deeper into his chair, sinking into the velvety cushioning, his eyes catch on a head of unruly dark hair towards the front of the lecture hall. His heart all but stops for a mere moment until he regains his breath and a sense of reality.

Donghyuck recalls Liu Yangyang being pretty in the game, well as pretty as an animated character can truly be, but it all pales in comparison to him in the flesh. This is a bold statement to make, especially considering that he can only peek at half of Yangyang’s face with the way that the other is sitting. The dark haired boy is sitting across his seat in a way that allows his legs to hang over the armrest, a straw hanging loosely from his lips but no drink to be seen. There’s hardly anyone sitting around him, and yet, his face indicates he has found amusement in something around him.

Donghyuck nose twitches and he feels like he’s about to sneeze, but he can’t explain why he’s suddenly overcome with this feeling. Nor can he truly understand why it’s near impossible for him to tear his eyes away from Yangyang, someone he truthfully does not really know. 

“Hey,” Mark interrupts Donghyuck’s weird trance and despite how irritatingly cheerful he is for the early hour, Donghyuck is grateful. “You must have forgot your notebook today. Do you wanna borrow a notebook and pen? Or maybe you should nap and take a photo of my notes at the end of class?” 

Donghyuck is astonished by how friendly Mark is being to a complete stranger. He thinks he probably shouldn’t be, considering that he had previously read about him quite a bit. Perhaps he’s just a little shocked because he didn’t expect Mark to be so kind to him, perhaps Donghyuck thinks Mark is a bit of a poor bastard.

“Yeah sure,” Donghyuck says, not specifying which he is agreeing to. He doesn’t expand further as he lays his head upon his arms, squeezing his eyes shut and praying for sleep. He decides he’ll deal with the fact that the angels have arrived and now the real work for him begins. He knows several things now: he is a demon antagonist, Mark Lee is a wonderful human, and Donghyuck very much wants to live so he will do everything he can to help the angels woo said Mark Lee. 

This is an entirely new world for Donghyuck, an entirely new ballpark. He’s used to soccer and video games, not demons and angels and ongoing feuds between God and Lucifer, but he will make do with what he has. He’s truly always considered himself a fast learner. 

Too nice Mark Lee wakes up Donghyuck with a gentle shake to the sleeping boy’s arm. He peers down at Donghyuck with wide eyes, glasses slipping down his nose. Donghyuck would have to be blind in order to miss the fact that Mark is stunning, and that combined with his naturally beautiful personality must make it easy for the angels to fall in love with him. That would make things a little easier on Donghyuck at least; if Mark is easy loveable, then Donghyuck’s plan to only help out would be much easier. Donghyuck sits up, attempting to blink the sleep out of his eyes and when that doesn’t work, he rubs harshly at his eyes with his fists.

Mark smiles softly and swivels his laptop in Donghyuck’s direction. “Here, take a photo. I left my number at the bottom too in case you have any extra questions.”

Mark Lee is really just too good to be true, and the angels better know that they are lucky.

At the thought of the angels, Donghyuck’s eyes dart over into Yangyang’s direction. Yangyang is peering down at his phone, face scrunched up into giggles, delightful over something that he has stumbled upon. Donghyuck exhales heavily, eyes round and curious at the fact that Yangyang is just that ethereally beautiful _that_ easily. It almost seems unfair, but Donghyuck reminds himself that this may have something to do with the fact that Yangyang _is_ an angel. 

Donghyuck shakes himself out of his stupor, mentally scolds himself for ogling an angel that he needs to try to set up with his newfound seatmate. He lets out a soft sigh then leans forward, squinting as he snaps some quick photos of Mark’s note. 

Mark shoves his glasses up his nose then pats Donghyuck’s shoulder. “Hopefully you can catch some sleep between classes, yeah?”

Donghyuck can’t help but smile at how genuine Mark is, so genuine that he almost feels bad for what he is about to do. “Thanks,” he says, standing up to follow Mark down the stairs and walk out of class. 

Donghyuck inhales deeply and sends out a silent apology before, he peers over at Yangyang ensuring that he’s also about to walk down the stairs to leave. He winces slightly as he slides his foot, pretends to trip, and slams a good amount of his body weight into Mark. Mark stumbles down the steps, windmilling in an attempt to catch himself, and he does catch himself; on one Liu Yangyang. 

Yangyang is a bit smaller than Mark, so Donghyuck is kind of shocked that he’s able to take Mark’s weight so well. Then, a flash of pride goes through Donghyuck at how well he has managed to construct a cliche rom-com moment on the drop of a dime. He almost wants to flaunt his skills, create an entire business based around it, but it may be too hasty as he has three more boys to create rom-com moments with as well.

“Woah woah,” Yangyang says, his voice light and airy, close to a giggle. “Are you okay? That would have been a really shitty fall if I hadn’t been there to catch you.”

A blush spreads across Mark’s face as he untangles himself from Yangyang and adjusts his glasses. “I’m so sorry about that. I don’t know what happened.” He pauses then peers up at Donghyuck, who is standing a few steps above them. Donghyuck realizes belatedly that it may seem a little creepy that he’s standing above them, staring at their interaction with a stupid smile on his face. Is this how God feels?, he wonders briefly. “Actually, Donghyuck tripped! Donghyuck, are you okay?”

Yangyang peers up at Donghyuck as well, eyebrows shooting up and his head tilting to the side just slightly like a small curious puppy. “Are you okay?” He questions, not sounding too concerned at all, especially not with his lollipop shoved into the side of his cheek. Donghyuck narrows his eyes, unsure how Yangyang didn’t choke on it when Mark fell into him. “Must have been a bad trip if you pushed this poor boy here.”

Donghyuck resists the urge to scowl because  _ really  _ there is no reason he should be involved in this interaction. He doesn’t want to piss off Yangyang or Mark (though the latter seems pretty unlikely), as he really needs to be on their good side in order to pull strings and get them together.

“I’m fine,” he replies shortly, even though he knows it might come across as irritated. Yangyang doesn’t seem that bothered, though, rather more amused with his eyebrows raised and his lips quirked into a bit of a smirk. Donghyuck almost wants to stomp his feet in protest and maybe push Mark into Yangyang again, if only to wipe that look off that angel’s face. 

The weirdly tense moment passes as Mark lets out a small whoop of excitement and scurries down the rest of the stairs, a bright grin on his face. In the doorway, a rather tall and puppy looking boy is waiting for Mark, his eyes sparkling as he smiles. Donghyuck doesn’t have even a mere moment to consider who the boy is; one, because he is very clearly Mark’s best friend Wong Yukhei, and two, because Yangyang is gripping his wrist in a vice grip and pulling him in close.

“Hey!” Donghyuck yelps, trying to step back and almost nearly tumbling down the steps for real this time.

“Shush!” Yangyang hisses out, rolling his eyes. His grip loosens, but only slightly, maybe in an attempt to reassure Donghyuck. Donghyuck glares at the offending hand that’s wrapped around his wrist, wanting to say that loosening your grip doesn’t make anything better. “I just wanted to tell you I know who and what you are. And don’t get worried or whatever, I was just thinking about how much  _ fun  _ we’re going to have.”

Before Donghyuck is given the chance to question what the actual  _ fuck  _ that cryptic ass statement means, Yangyang is quite literally skipping down the stairs to meet someone outside the doorway, his grin bright and wide. 

Donghyuck stands there for a few more moments, completely dumbfounded and a little bit annoyed before announcing his thoughts rather loudly to the emptied out room. “What in the actual  _ fuck  _ was  _ that _ .”

***

By the time Donghyuck arrives back at his apartment, he finds that he’s even more tired than he was when he originally left it. His feet drag against the wooden flooring of the apartment building, the soles of his shoes squeaking noisily. The sound is grating against his ears, but he finds he’s much too tired to actually lift his feet and prevent the sound. By the time he makes it to his door, he considers sitting down and taking a rest before unlocking his door and entering. He at least takes pause to slump against his door, a heavy sigh resonating through the hallway.

Following the heavy sigh, there’s the sound of a door opening accompanied by sweet laughter. Donghyuck freezes, hurriedly straightening up and searching for his keys; he was truly in no state to meet any of his neighbors. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

Despite wanting nothing more than to hide away in his apartment and sleep the rest of the day away, Donghyuck turns to greet the gentle voice. He truly had no intention of greeting his neighbors, but the voice is so soft and sweet that he can’t help but want to see who it’s coming from. He freezes, taken aback by the eye smile and plush cheeks that are directed towards him. 

“Um,” Donghyuck says so intelligently. He feels sucker punched in the face by just how  _ pretty _ his neighbor, but he also feels rather sucker punched by the fact that his neighbor is  _ Lee Jeno _ . Lee Jeno, sweet to a fault as well as a little obsessed with cats, is standing before him with pink sweater paws and a concerned look on his face. “Hi.”

Jeno giggles, cheeks squishing up even more, eyes nearly disappearing completely. “Hi to you too. Now, are you okay?”

“Um yeah… I’m just a little tired. I’m sorry if I worried you.” Donghyuck isn’t exactly sure if that’s the right response, but he doesn’t really know what else to say. He’s never been in such an odd situation before and he isn’t sure if there is any real proper response for these sort of things. 

“Jeno!” 

Jeno and Donghyuck both turned abruptly to face the boy stepping out of the apartment next to Donghyuck’s. Donghyuck blinks rapidly, taking in soft wavy hair and a sulky pout. Na Jaemin is nothing short of being absolutely charming, that much Donghyuck knows, and even while looking relatively grumpy he’s captured Donghyuck’s attention.

“Oh hi!” Jaemin’s face lights up when he notices Donghyuck standing there. “You must be our neighbor. I’m so sorry for our shit manners. I’m Jaemin and that’s Jeno, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh uh hi to you too… I’m uh Donghyuck, I guess.” Donghyuck has never felt more out of place and uncomfortable in his own skin before. Then again, he has never been in the presence of such stunning and wholesome creatures before; even if Donghyuck hadn’t known that they were angels, he might have thought so anyways just based off their looks alone. 

“You guess, huh?” Jaemin’s voice takes on a teasing lilt, his mouth turning upwards. There’s nothing mocking about his tone or smile, rather just something that hints at playful. Donghyuck can feel a warm blush spread across his cheeks, unsure why he’s so embarrassed, but aware that he doesn’t feel that bad about it at least. Jaemin takes mercy on him and says, “I hope that since we’re neighbors we can become really good friends.”

Jeno’s pink sweater paws circle around Jaemin’s bicep as he presses against him, blinking owlishly behind the frames of his glasses. “Nana, ask him if he wants to go to that party tomorrow.” 

Jaemin scoffs, shooting Jeno a truly unimpressed look. “You have your own voice, do it yourself, Lee Jeno.” 

Donghyuck stares at them both, unsure if he should really say anything or just let them bicker until one of them decides to suck it up and invite him to the party. He definitely has time to listen to them argue about it, but he’s a little too tired and expectant of his soft bed to wait for one of them to just ask him the damn question.

“Sure,” Donghyuck blurts, a sinking feeling forming in his gut that tells him that he’ll regret this later. “Just knock on my door tomorrow and we’ll go together. I’d love to go to a party with you guys.”

Both Jaemin and Jeno seem at least a little taken aback by Donghyuck’s boldness, but they both nod in agreement despite their shock. Donghyuck flashes what he hopes is a brilliant grin before slipping into his apartment, where he finally allows himself to slump onto his couch, becoming a shapeless lump. He groans loudly into the stiff cushions of his couch, wondering why exactly the angels have to be so beautiful. After a moment of wondering about this certain fact, he groans louder, rolling off the couch completely to lay on the floor like the miserable starfish he is.

He’d come to the worst realization yet: he has no chance with them because they’re angels that hate demons like him and they’re there for perfect Mark Lee instead.

Life really sucks for Lee Donghyuck, in Lee Donghyuck’s own humble opinion. 

  
  
  


*

Donghyuck stares at himself in the mirror, squinting at his reflection, wondering if maybe making his sight blurrier might convince himself that he looks better than he does. It’s really not that he looks awful, it’s not like that at all. In fact, Donghyuck is fully aware of the fact that does look pretty damn good if he must say so himself. It has more to do with the fact of what he  _ is _ , who he  _ is _ . What feels like the weight of the world clings to his shoulders, pushing him down, working very hard to make Donghyuck feel so very small.

It reflects on his face, and he can tell, and that’s the worst part. It shows on his face that he is so exhausted and so guilty and so terribly awfully not human. Maybe that last part is really only him, because he knows his true purpose in this story line is to be the villainous demon that came to steal Mark Lee and his soul. That’s not who Donghyuck wants to be, but he’s not sure there’s much more space for him to be anything else.

He only has a few minutes until he’s due to walk out of his apartment and meet with his neighbors. But they’re not only his neighbors are they? No they’re not, and that’s simply the truth. Jaemin and Jeno are angels, literal angels from heaven who’s only grievances in the entire world is being too fucking pretty, and they are the protagnists of this story.

Simply put, there is no place for Donghyuck here. Despite it all, this very fact unsettles and devastates Donghyuck more than he would like to admit.

Donghyuck forces himself to pull it together, sniffles quietly and balls his hands into fists, his nails cutting into the soft flesh of his palms. The sudden sharp pain draws him back to reality, reminds him that he has a job to do to ensure that he will not be the antagonist of this story. And he also new friends to meet, a party to attend where maybe he’ll be able to forget it all just for the night. 

He brushes everything aside, clears his mind of negative thoughts and forces himself to picture a night of dancing and drinking. A night of happiness, a night where everything can disappear for a few hours at least. This is what he forces himself to imagine in order to construct a smile on his face and slip out his door to meet his neighbors. But the moment he steps outside and lays eyes on Jaemin and Jeno, the mirage cracks and fades away. 

Jaemin and Jeno look absolutely stunning, even more so than usual. Donghyuck doesn’t know what the proper reaction is for what he is looking at currently, because is there a proper reaction for when your eyes have fallen upon two beautiful angels dressed for a night out? Jeno wears a simple white button up, the first few buttons undone to reveal his strong collarbone. His glasses are MIA for the night, and with them out of the way, it’s easy for Donghyuck to notice just how sparkling the angel’s eyes are. 

When Donghyuck's eyes land on Jaemin though, he loses his breath entirely. Jaemin looks beautiful, of course, his eyes dark and smoldering due to the dark eye shadow smudged to accentuate it. While that is stunning and captivating in itself, that's not what has caught Donghyuck's attention. Jaemin's jeans are simple; dark wash with a few rips up his thighs, and again that's not what has made Donghyuck frozen to his spot. 

It's Jaemin's top.

Jaemin's top is a basic black shirt, except for the fact that it's cropped and Donghyuck has a perfect view of Jaemin's toned and tanned midriff. Donghyuck nearly chokes as he swallows his spit, not wanting to freak Jaemin out by drooling over the poor boy. Suddenly, Donghyuck feels severely under dressed, due to just how magnificent his friends look. He forces himself to take a deep breath, and he sighs internally.

Mark will think they look amazing, he tells himself, almost bitterly though he doesn't truly understand. He has a reason for being here and the reason this time will not be to cause chaos, it will be to bring love. 

"Are you ready to go?" Jaemin asks, his lips quirked up into a smug smile that shows in his voice. It's almost as if Jaemin knows that Donghyuck is watching, almost as if he enjoys it. Donghyuck shuts down that thought process quickly, knowing better than to let it wander any further. He reminds himself once more that he has a purpose to fulfill, and it isn't to fall all over himself for some pretty angels that don't belong to him and never will. 

"Yeah, I'm ready," Donghyuck utters softly, feeling much too fragile once more. "Let's go."

Jaemin shoots him a blinding smile as he passes by, and Donghyuck almost expects Jeno to do the same, but the dark haired boy stops beside Donghyuck. Donghyuck jerks his head back, taken aback by how intense Jeno's gaze feels. They stand there for a few breaths, and then Jeno is slipping his hand into Donghyuck's and leading him down the hall behind Jaemin.

Donghyuck still hasn't remembered how to breathe yet.

*

The party is taking place at a dorm building that has Donghyuck questioning just how the residents are getting away with this. His mind spins with theories and posits, wondering if there's someone there that he can ask about it, eyes searching for someone who could possibly be an RA. He doesn't want to admit to himself that this is his way of avoiding looking and thinking about Jaemin and Jeno instead.

Jeno is still gripping his hand tightly, but this time it's only to make sure that Donghyuck doesn't get lost in the swarm of college students, and Donghyuck knows this because Jeno is holding Jaemin's hand too who is leading their small little line. Just like a liner leader, Donghyuck giggles to himself over that thought. Angels are line leaders and demons always remain at the back; they get the short end of the stick, always, and this is just the truth of his new life. 

A hand lands on Donghyuck's shoulder and he jumps, prepared to turn and shove at them but when his eyes land on the owner of the hand, he relaxes significantly. Mark Lee is missing his glasses and his hair is ruffled artfully, but it is still Mark Lee.

Donghyuck's tense expression softens into something akin to a welcoming smile. "Hi," he greets Mark, perhaps a bit too quietly for a party atmosphere. 

Mark doesn't seem to mind and he must have heard Donghyuck or maybe read his lips, because he replies, "Hey yourself. Did you end up getting some rest yesterday after class?" 

Donghyuck's cheeks color. He'd completely forgotten the hassle he'd caused for Mark, all because he was exhausted and in denial of the situation he'd woken up and found himself in. And he'd never even properly thanked Mark for his help. Here he is, supposed to be helping Mark, and instead he's causing trouble for him.

"Um, yeah I did. Thank you for everything." Donghyuck's voice is still too soft for a party, but he can't find it in himself to be any louder, any livelier. 

Mark giggles, honest to god truly giggles. "Oh there's no need to thank me, man. I wanted to help, really."

"Donghyuck." Jeno's voice draws Donghyuck back to the here and now, jump starts all his nerve endings. All of his muscles feel fried, like his own nerves electrocuted him as punishment forgetting his place. "Who's this?"

Donghyuck grits his teeth, peers at Jeno. From the way Jeno is eyeing up Mark, Donghyuck knows that Jeno knows exactly who he is and that Donghyuck shouldn't have to introduce them at all. But this is the role he's decided to play instead of the villain, and so, he must fulfill it, play along with a game he never wanted to be apart of it. 

"Jeno, this is Mark, my class mate. He helped me out yesterday. Mark, this is my neighbor Jeno and that's my other neighbor, Jaemin." Donghyuck begrudgingly handles the introductions, deciding to include Jaemin despite the silver haired boy being too busy searching for someone. 

Mark lights up and nod quickly, though Donghyuck doesn't understand why. From how vigorously he's shaking his head, Donghyuck thinks that if Mark was wearing his glasses that they would fall off. "Cool cool! This is my best friend, Yukhei!" Mark announces exuberantly, and gestures to the tall boy standing behind him that Donghyuck had managed to miss.

Donghyuck flashes a weak smile at the behemoth that is Yukhei. Yukhei smiles back, and much to Donghyuck's confusion, his smile is just as weak and just as tight as Donghyuck's. Donghyuck has half a mind to ask if he's okay, but before he can do so, Jaemin is cheering loudly. He can only assume that his neighbor has found what he's been searching for so desperately. 

Donghyuck turns to find out what has gotten Jaemin just so excited, and then he freezes. Because there is Yangyang and Huang Renjun, both looking distinctively pretty despite their moods being complete opposites. Yangyang is beaming ear to ear, looking mischievous and playful; he looks every bit like a puppy that's about to tear apart his owner's furniture just for fun. Renjun, on the other hand, was flicking his long dark hair away from his face, perhaps so it can't obscure his scowl. Donghyuck giggles at the idea that Renjun wants everyone at the party to be aware that Renjun doesn't want to be there and that they better respect that.

Donghyuck's giggle has unfortunately caught Renjun's attention, his dark eyes sliding over to Donghyuck. When he notices just who it is he's looking at, his eyebrows shoot up high on his forehead. Gone is the scowl, replaced with a look of wonder mixed with confusion.

"Nana, do you think we could maybe borrow your friend?" Yangyang purrs, brushing against Jaemin as he slips past him to grab onto Donghyuck's arm possessively. Fear and another unidentifiable emotion ricochets around deep inside Donghyuck, unsure of what he should do. He knows that he should pull away from Yangyang and calmly introduce Mark to him, walk away, and leave them alone to bond. For some reason, his mouth won't move, his tongue is glued to the roof of his mouth and he feels utterly frozen. 

Simply put, he isn't sure what to do. And he can only identify that this feeling of uncertainty and upheaval is directly related to the angels. 

Jaemin's grin is just as dangerous as Yangyang's. "Sure, Yangie," Jaemin purrs in response, sinking into Jeno who rubs at Jaemin's hip. Donghyuck's eyes zero in on the motion, his head a mess as he suddenly realizes that he knows nothing at all. "But you have to promise that you and Junnie will play nice. I know how you two can get."

"Don't you fret." Renjun rolls his eyes, but his lips are beginning to quirk up into a smile as well. Donghyuck swallows hard, realizing now that Renjun is enjoying this. For some reason, Donghyuck's arrival has made this party a bit more bearable for Renjun. "I think that Donghyuck can handle himself well."

  
  
  


Donghyuck bites his tongue hard to keep from yelping out loud. Renjun knows his name, and that has to be because one of the other angels told him. Not only did they tell him Donghyuck's name, they had to tell more, more maybe than anything Donghyuck had told them yet. Donghyuck should be afraid, Donghyuck should run and he should run very far, but instead he allows Yangyang to stroke the inside of his wrist and lead him into a tidy dorm room. He allows Renjun to close the door behind them and he allows Yangyang to guide him to sit on one of the beds.

Briefly, Donghyuck is forced to wonder if there is anything at all he wouldn't allow these boys to do to him. He shakes his head, tries to clear his foggy mind of treachery and fear and angst. This is a much harder task than it sounds because Donghyuck feels weighed down once more, just like he had while looking in the mirror in his apartment.

"Don't look so afraid," Yangyang cooes, and his voice is light from laughter. Donghyuck doesn't feel any better, not when they look like that and he knows the power that they hold. Demons are made from darkness, but angels are created from power and Donghyuck is beginning to think these angels he barely knows hold too much power over him. "We just wanna talk."

"Do you?" Donghyuck questions in a voice that's quiet and shaky, a voice that isn't recognizable. Ever since Donghyuck woke up on Saturday, he has been afraid and tired, merely wanting to go back to sleep. He still feel this now, but tenfold. 

"Yes, we do." Renjun is all business, his voice sharp and serious. "We just want to know what you're doing here. We're here to protect Mark Lee and we think it's a bit suspicious that a demon shows up at the same time and decides to make nice with the same boy we're looking out for."

Tears form in Donghyuck's eyes and threaten to overflow. He's never hated anything more in his life, and yet, he can't even say that because this isn't truly his life and neither is his old one because how can it be when he no longer remembers anything from it. He shakes his head, eyes focusing on his fraying jeans and his hands that sit uselessly in his lap.

"I don't know." He's honest with his words. In that moment all his frustration bubbles up, spills out in the form of his words and tears. "I have no fucking clue what I'm doing here. And I'm so fucking sorry if me being here is inconveniencing you, because honestly I know. I know that my existence is an inconvenience but just keep going about your shit, okay? Pretend I'm not here and then maybe hopefully I'll be gone or dead or something soon enough." 

Yangyang and Renjun freeze, both caught off guard but the sudden bout of emotion that Donghyuck is showing. The surprise soon transforms into concern and Renjun sits on the other side of Donghyuck, rubbing at his back in soothing circles.

"We don't want you gone, Donghyuck," Renjun mutters softly, sympathetically. "Please don't think any of us want anything bad to happen to you."

"We just want to make sure that you're not causing any trouble." Yangyang is rubbing Donghyuck's arm, his sweater paw causing his sleeve to catch on Donghyuck's own sleeve. The way Yangyang's nose scrunches up at his sleeve's disobedience is so amusing that Donghyuck almost laughs, but the laughter is swallowed up by his misery. 

"I'm not, I'm not. I promise," Donghyuck manages to sniffle out. "I just want to make friends. And I want to be friends with Mark, okay? I don't want to do anything to hurt him. I just want to befriend him." 

"I'll allow it," Yangyang said with a laughable amount of confidence. 

Donghyuck lets himself laugh, just a small giggle, something that warms his heart a little. At least the angels wouldn't try to deter him from befriending Mark, which would make getting them together a whole lot easier. Things still suck for Donghyuck, but at least they suck a little less now.

Donghyuck likes to think it's because not only did Yangyang allow it, but he must will it as well.

*

The following week, Donghyuck meets up with Mark in the library to study. Donghyuck thinks he's getting sick, but he doesn't want to interfere with school or meddling with Mark Lee's love life. It's silly and a little bit pathetic, but Donghyuck brings his fluffy blanket with him to the library and wraps himself up in it like a shawl as he reads from his textbook.

"Dude," Mark says about a half hour into their study session. His glasses are slipping down his nose from reading his textbook, and the hair on the right side of his head is ruffled from where he's been holding his head up with his hand. "Maybe you should head home. You're shivering and you sniffle, like, every thirty seconds. It doesn't bother me, but those girls at that table are glaring at you."

Donghyuck groans and shakes his head, using his textbook as a pillow for the time being. It had taken him so much effort to get out of bed and walk to the library, he isn't entirely convinced that he'll be able to make it back to his apartment without passing out in the grass. Besides, if he left now, he wouldn't be there for when the angels got there and he wouldn't be able to meddle at all. This thought was perhaps more distressing than the idea of passing out in the middle of the quad.

"No, I'm fine," Donghyuck insisted weakly, wiping his nose with the edge of his blanket. The girls that had been glaring see him do this and make disgusted expressions; Donghyuck doesn't care and makes the decision that if they keep being rude he'll sneeze on their notes. 

"No you're not," Mark retorts, eyebrow furrowing with genuine concern for his new found friend. "You're dying, dude. Here, let me feel for a fever."

"A fever?" 

Donghyuck groans louder than he had when Mark first suggested him leaving, because perhaps even worse than heading home and missing the angels, is the angels showing up and fretting over him instead of concentrating on Mark. Maybe he should have left, after all. Donghyuck peeks upwards at Jaemin, who's blinding smile is missing, replaced with a worried frown.

"You have a fever, Hyuckie?" Jeno asks from behind Jaemin, where he'd previously been occupied in trying to wrestle Yangyang out of the gloves he had stolen from Jeno. 

Renjun is standing beside Jaemin, his frown just as deep and worried. "No wonder he has a blanket. He must be freezing if he has a fever."

Donghyuck feels like a child that's been caught by his parents, playing while he's sick. He frowns, crossing his arms and huffing a bit petulantly. "I'm not sick and I do not have a fever, thank you very much!"

Yangyang's freshly bare hand reaches out quickly, quicker than Donghyuck knew he was capable of moving, and presses against Donghyuck's forehead beneath his fringe. Donghyuck yelps, batting at Yangyang's arm temperamentally. 

"Does he have a fever?" Renjun and Mark ask at the same time, exchanging an amused look afterwards. 

Yangyang purses his lips then nods decidingly. "He's hot as fuck, yeah." 

Donghyuck freezes at Yangyang's choice of wording. Objectively, Donghyuck knows very well that Yangyang is referring to the fact that Donghyuck is burning up and should be asleep in bed right now, fighting off the virus that has taken over his body. He blames his illness on the humans, truthfully, because what reason do they have to be so touchy and disgusting. It occurs to him that he had once been human as well, but he chooses to ignore that and dwell on Yangyang's wording instead. It's about his fever, but Donghyuck sort of wishes it was about him being attractive.

Which is ridiculous. Because Yangyang is not his, will never be his. 

“Dude! I told you that you need to go home!” Mark exclaims, his nose scrunching up with indignation. He seems more concerned than smug, which is more than Donghyuck can say for the angels, because all four are peering at him with raised eyebrows and amused expressions.

“You should head home, Hyuck,” Jaemin says simply, dropping his backpack onto the table. Jaemin isn’t being unkind, in fact, his eyes have a small shine that betrays the worry he’s feeling about Donghyuck. “We’ll share our notes with you if you’re worried about missing out on studying.”

Donghyuck doesn’t say that he doesn’t want their notes, because he really doesn’t, especially not Jaemin’s or Yangyang’s whose notes resemble doodles more than anything else. What Donghyuck wants is to set Mark and the angels up and then go home and take a really long Benadryl induced nap. At least this is what he tells himself he wants, because if he tells himself that enough times then maybe he’ll believe it. 

Donghyuck is fully prepared to argue once more, even inhaling deeply to spew out a whole list of reasons why he should stay at the library instead of going home. Before he gets the chance to, Mark pipes up, “Actually, I have to go too. Yukhei needs me for something. I’m really sorry. Let’s meet up and all study together when Donghyuck is feeling better.”

Donghyuck has the sudden urge to cross his arms and stomp his feet like a child that’s just been told that they’re not going to the park after all. He knows it’s ridiculous, and borderline pathetic in fact, but he really did just want to move the process along. He wants to make Mark and the angels happy, to give them the only thing he has to give. 

“Perfect.” Jeno’s grin is blinding. Donghyuck watches in confusion as Yangyang and Jaemin begin to pack up Donghyuck’s items that are scattered across the table. “Let’s take Donghyuck home and try to get that fever down. Yangie? Injun? You coming with us?”

“Well, I’m assuming the rest of you are shit at taking care of a sick person, so I kind of have to, don’t I?” Renjun rolls his eyes, his tone biting but a smile tugging at his lips. 

“I know how to take care of myself,” Donghyuck immediately retorts, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. “I’ve been doing it for a while now.”

This very statement doesn’t seem to help his argument at all. Mark and the angels exchange glances that seem to speak for thousands of words; words that Donghyuck can’t decipher. He doesn’t understand it, and he knows he’s not meant to understand it, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. The entire situation, not this situation in particular but  _ life _ , is frustrating. His eyes burn but as he sneezes, he knows it’s not from tears, but rather from the illness wreaking havoc on his body.

“Don’t worry, Hyuckie!” Yangyang breaks the tension by throwing his arms tightly around Donghyuck. His limbs get tangled in the blanket and around Donghyuck’s neck, and Donghyuck’s knee jerk response is to try to wrestle himself out of the affection. Yangyang is like a puppy, insistent and loving. Not to mention adorable, Donghyuck notes as Yangyang nuzzles his face close to Donghyuck’s, his soft brown hair tickling at bare strips of skin.

“Yangyang!” Renjun scolds, aiding Jeno in pulling Yangyang off the ill boy. “You’ll get yourself sick or make Donghyuck feel worse.” Renjun is slim, a bit more compact than the other boys, but he’s easily able to lock Yangyang into a chokehold.

Mark chuckles, something about what he’s witnessing tickling his funny bone. “Well, good luck guys. I really have to go meet Yukhei now. See you later, feel better Donghyuck.”   
  


In his mind, Donghyuck threatens Mark and calls him a traitor. Externally, he merely pouts and waves goodbye to the boy that he’s befriended so quickly. The boy he can’t help but feel fondness for, despite the fact that Donghyuck is about to meddle with his life. Between his fever and guilt, his stomach twists with nausea. 

Jaemin tsks his tongue, carefully guiding Donghyuck to his feet as Mark rushes away. The blanket is no longer merely draped around Donghyuck, but rather twisted around his limbs, clinging to him tightly. It’s mildly uncomfortable, but he chooses to ignore it instead. 

“A demon falling ill from a mortal sickness?” Jaemin teases, his smile bright and friendly. Donghyuck wants to drown in the smile, drown in Jaemin completely. For a moment, he imagines it; he imagines allowing himself to sink into the angels’ love and affection, he allows himself to picture a scenario where they are his and he is theirs and Donghyuck can happily sink into them. “You truly are peculiar, aren’t you?”

Donghyuck’s smile is weak at best. “Yes. I suppose I am.” 

*

Donghyuck doesn’t know how he ended up like this. He really doesn’t know. At this point, he doesn’t understand anything that goes on his life. Nor does he feel he has much control over his life anymore, but that’s okay, it’s all okay as long as things turn out right for Mark and the angels. 

“What movie do you want to watch?” Yangyang asks, puppy dog smile directed at Donghyuck as Jeno tucks a fluffy blanket over everyone on the couch. Jaemin offered to sit on the floor and is forcing Yangyang to sit with him, claiming it’s to make sure that the youngest out of them behaves, but Donghyuck doesn’t question it. He sinks into the cushions of the couch, feeling small between both Renjun and Jeno despite being about the same size. 

“I don’t care, whatever is fine,” Donghyuck grumbles, pulling the blanket up to tuck beneath his chin. Renjun raises his eyebrows and shoots Donghyuck a look as the blanket tugs around him as well, and usually Donghyuck would shoot him a mildly sheepish grin, but today he doesn’t have it in him to muster it up. Renjun’s sharp look fades away and smiles fondly at Donghyuck instead, causing sparks of alarm to shoot up his spine and fizzle away into his stomach. “You guys probably shouldn’t even be here. What if I get you sick too!”

Renjun rolls his eyes, but there’s a tinge of affection behind it. “Donghyuck, shut up. Angels don’t get sick, and you know that.”

This was knowledge Donghyuck had, in fact, not known until this very moment. 

“Just relax, Hyuckie,” Jaemin cooes, patting Donghyuck’s knee. Donghyuck can’t help but jolt at the touch, his eyes widening. He’s still not accustomed to the fact that the angels are so touchy, so affectionate; not only that, they all want to be affectionate with him. It’s scary and not just because they’re supposed to end up with Mark. Donghyuck has never felt this way before, let alone for one boy opposed to four. 

“You’re so tense.” Jeno’s eyebrows are raised over the brims of his glasses as he peers down at Donghyuck. Briefly, Donghyuck wonders how Jeno knows how tense he is. Then, he remembers that he is pressed up against both Jeno and Renjun, and that it’s likely that they can probably even feel his heart pounding a mile a minute if they concentrate hard enough. “Just relax, honey.”

“Honey?” Donghyuck manages to squeak out around the shock that has wound around his neck like a noose.

Yangyang twists around to peek up at Donghyuck as he takes a seat on the ground, having selected a movie already, the process demanding that he sits two feet away from the TV screen. “Yeah! Jeno calls us that too, isn’t it cute? Jeno isn’t the cutest, isn’t he?”

Jaemin and Renjun nudge Yangyang at the same time, the action meant to be scolding, but they’re both grinning so Donghyuck doesn’t find much bite or scorn in the action. Yangyang doesn’t either, apparently, because he merely giggles and presses the play button, leaning up against Renjun’s legs. Donghyuck manages to give his attention to the movie for a full five minutes before he gets restless and decides to check his phone. He isn’t friends with anyone else other than Mark, so he knows for a fact that there will be no waiting messages.

He doesn’t expect to find a photo of Yukhei, fast asleep in Mark’s lap waiting in his messages. There’s a plethora of hearts and an endless amount of compliments accompanied with it, and it’s easy although startling to see that Mark is insanely enamored with Wong Yukhei, his best friend. The best friend that had brought the angels and demon upon Mark to begin with. 

Donghyuck, upon this discovery, suddenly forgets how to breathe. The living room is dark except for the flickering of the TV screen, and Yangyang and Jaemin’s laughter has created a melody that Donghyuck is loathe to ever say goodbye to. He doesn’t know what to think and he doesn’t know how to make his brain work properly again. 

For the moment, though, these are things that no longer bother him. He tucks his phone beneath the blanket to rest on his lap, silently hoping that the movement of the blanket won’t upset Renjun, then sinks into the couch cushion further. His feet slide closer to Renjun, toes pressing against the other’s thigh, and he allows his upper body to rest against Jeno. Jeno nor Renjun make any complaints, Jeno baring Donghyuck’s weight while Renjun rubs soothing circles above Donghyuck’s ankle.

“Goodnight,” Renjun whispers sweetly as Donghyuck’s eyelids begin to flutter shut. 

Donghyuck falls asleep to warmth, laughter, home. It feels good to fall asleep in such a beautiful state of mind, a state of peace.

Donghyuck wakes up almost the same, just a bit disturbed, a bit skewed. Something is off, and he wishes he knew what it was, because it’s the  _ same _ , he’s sure of it. So why does it feel so different? He blinks away the haziness, the black dots that swarm around the edge of his vision like a veil between reality and dreamland.

The moment that the veil is stripped away, he suddenly understands why everything feels so different. He’s not on the beat up couch, squished between two angels, with two other angels sitting at his feet like guard dogs. Rather, he is folded up delicately between soft sheets and fluffy blankets, his head resting on several plush pillows. Tucked beneath his arm, that is contained in a cast, is a soft moomin plush that tickles against his cheek. 

Sunlight crawls across the floor sluggishly, a natural alarm clock for Donghyuck. At first, he assumes this is what has woken up. He’s not usually woken this easily, but he’s unperturbed, snuggling deeper into the warmth and comfort of his bed. Then he freezes, realizing that this is  _ his  _ bed. Not the bed that had been provided to him in that pseudo fucked up dreamland where he had been something akin to a villain and nothing felt right. 

No. It’s nothing like that at all. This is the bed that he recalls staying wide awake in until deep into the morning, only resulting in him remaining tucked between the covers until early afternoon. A small whimper emits from the back of his throat, tears pricking at his eyes. It’s funny how much you forget you appreciate something until it’s presented to you once more and the emotions become overwhelming like tidal waves.

His rustling and crying must have alerted someone’s attention, because the door creaks open. Donghyuck’s eyes waver over to the doorway, and his heart cracks open, bleeding freely. Renjun is sleepy, obvious by his bed head and puffy eyes. There are creases from his bed pressed into the soft skin of his cheek and his eyes are hazy, unfocused. Yet, he still manages to look concerned.

Behind him, Yangyang pokes his head around Renjun. He looks just as sleep ruffled, a fluffy blanket of his own wrapped around himself tightly. “You’re awake!” Yangyang squeaks, his dazed expression lifting into a beam. Before either Renjun or Donghyuck can stop him from doing so, Yangyang is throwing himself onto the bed. His body winds around Donghyuck with practiced ease, and his blanket adds onto the pile that already covers Donghyuck. 

Donghyuck is frozen for a moment before he starts to run his fingers through Yangyang’s hair, a small smile forming on his own face. Renjun shuffles inside the room, leaving the door open for the others presumably, and settling on the edge of the bed. He looks hesitant, as if fearful he’ll hurt Donghyuck. Donghyuck stretches his leg, brushing his toes against Renjun’s thigh in an effort to reassure the elder. Renjun manages a small smile, seemingly relaxing just a bit at the action.

Just like the oh so wise Renjun had predicted, Jaemin and Jeno joined them merely moments later. Jaemin looks the most awake, seemingly the best at maintaining his energy. Jeno is half leaning against Jaemin, using him as support in his half asleep state.

“One of you should have come to get us,” Jeno scolds, but looks much too soft for any of them to really feel fearful of him or his words. He doesn’t seem to find his words all that threatening either, slowly sinking into the bed to try to wrap around Donghyuck as well. 

Jaemin weaves around the limbs of all his boys, ducking down to press a gentle kiss to Donghyuck’s forehead. He smells like strawberries, and the scent envelopes Donghyuck, soothing him even further. The urge to cry has completely gone away at this point, the feeling of home having replaced it. Jaemin brushes hair away from Donghyuck’s forehead and Renjun is sprawling out at the end of the bed, hand winding around Donghyuck’s ankle. He resembles a cat, wanting to guard its owner, Donghyuck thinks. 

“Feeling better, love?” Jaemin asks quietly, his smile soft but unable to conceal the lingering worry in his eyes. “You were gone in dreamland for so long, we missed you.”

“Yes,” Donghyuck says honestly, one hand resting on Yangyang’s waist and the other tangled in Jeno’s hair from where Jeno has nuzzled his head close to Donghyuck’s casted arm. “I feel much better now that I’m back here with my angels.” 


End file.
